Beware the circuit training machines at your gym!

It is a very common habit for many people who are new to weight training to immediately begin working out on the circuit machines at their local gyms. They are not educated as to the dangers of day after day training on these machines and usually train on them 3 days a week.

These machines are dangerous to train on each day because they are locked into a certain arc and plane that is common for MOST people. There is no individuality on these machines and if the arc and plane isn't perfect for the person using them damage is being done to tendons and ligaments as well as muscles themselves. In addition, some of these machines were designed and manufactured long ago when less was known about muscles and injuries. Many gyms still use these "dinosaurs" because newer machines cost so much more. It is also easier for gyms to purchase these machines as they are less expensive than newly designed machines. Many gyms buy used equipment from gyms that didn't make it at a reduced price.

Some machines are not even made anymore due to the injuries that have been linked to their use. There are some franchises that now refuse to utilize machines such as the seated leg extension machine due to their causing knee injuries. (My instuctor for my Master Trainer's certification called the seated leg extension machine "Satan's Throne"!)

So, what to do? I would suggest training on these machines no more than once a week to avoid injuries caused over time by repetitive and incorrect movements caused by the arc you are forced to comply with when using them. Dumbbells and pulley machines, my personal favorites, will never hurt you as long as one's form and technique is safe. Dumbbells and pulley machines do not lock the user into a prescibed arc. The natural arc each of us has in lifting is created in each repetition when using pulleys and free weights. These machines and equipment are safe and are actually more efficient than the circuit machines.